newsitems

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- The PanEuropean, 47-Member Countries strong CoE's Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) has just Decided, this Friday Morning/Noon in Strasbourg, to Hold a Topical public Debate on the currently very "Hot" issueof the "the situation in Aleppo" (Syria),  (nowadays discussed at UNO's HQ in New York, and between Paris - Moscow - Berlin, etc, as well as Tomorrow, Saturday, at nearby Lausanne, in Switzerland, etc),at its immediately forthcoming Session, on November 25, exceptionaly hosted in Cyprus, i.e. Near Syria's SeaCoasts.

EU and CoE Member Cyprus is the Incoming New President in office of the CoE's Highest Political body, that of its Committee of Ministers, for the period of November 2016 - May 2017. (The previous rotating CoE Chairmanship by Cyprus had taken place a long time ago, between 1994 and 1995, (Comp. relevant "Eurofora" co-Founders' NewsReports etc., already from the preparation of that event, published then at PIO, CNA, etc).

According to well informed Sources from the incoming Cyprus' CoE Presidency, at least the Initial Intention for that November 2O16 PACE event, was to Focus, in general, on "International Law and Human Rights".

Given that the Next full Plenary Session of the PACE concenes No Earlier than on January 2017 in Strasbourg, it will be its "Standing Committee" which is due to hold that public Debate and Vote on Aleppo at its much Earlier Meeting on November 2016 in Cyprus.

PACE's Standing Committee has, in Legal terms, Similar Powers as also PACE's full Plenary Sessions, and all its Leadership takes part, in principle, (even if the Number of participating simple MEPs is not necessarily the same).

But its Political Importance, in real Practice, can get a more or less Big Potential, according to the overall Context and relevant Developments, as well as Last Minute Decisions :

- F.ex., already, Back on 1999, Strasbourg's Journalists regularly covering the CoE (including "Eurofora"s co-Founder) had been Invited to a landmark PACE Standing Committee Session in Rome (Italy), initialy for a main Issue officialy pointing, then, at Ocalan's controversial kidnaping at Nairobi, in Africa, by a Turkish commando, and subsequent Detention Conditions at Imranli, in Turkey. But, just After arriving in Rome, suddenly, a radical Change appeared on PACE Standing Committee's Main Issue, which Now Focused, on the Contrary, to nearby Ex-Yugoslavia and the Kosovo crisis, resulting in an Exceptionaly "Hot" Debate and a very Disputed Vote of a Resolution which became, (after that matter had been practicaly Droped or comparatively Downplayed, earlier, both at the UNO and at EU Parliament, etc), the Only Official Document on which some Claimed to have Found some kind of (even if indirect)Legitimacy in order to Start Launching one of the Waves of Military Strikes in what became known as 1 among the 2 successive Ex-Yugoslavia Wars, (Comp. relevant "Eurofora" co-Founder's NewsReport from that Historic, even if Controversial, Event, Published then at MPA Press Agency, etc).

Today's Decision on Aleppo (Syria) was Exceptionaly taken "by the Bureau" of PACE, i.e. its Highest Political Body after the Plenary itself, (whose Meetings are held "In Camera" and, in principle, Confidential), and Not on the Public Initiative of a Group of MEPs presenting a Draft Motion for Resolution, (i.e. Contrary to the Usual Procedure, which is used much More Often, for Most of Other Issues, including Many other "Hot" and Urgent matters).

It was officialy  Refered to PACE's Political affairs Committee "for Report", and this, practicaly, means that, normaly, a Written Text (such as a Resolution/Recommendation, etc) is due to officialy Emerge on that Issue at the CoE, sooner or later, for Final public Debate and Vote at that November 2016 PACE Standing Committee's meeting on November 25 - 26 in Cyprus, (Comp. Supra), and Not Only a mere "Urgent" Oral Debate, Contrary, f.ex., to what has just occured, this week in Strasbourg, where PACE's full Plenary Session didn't Discuss the notorious Mass Waves of Oppression against Tens of Thousands of various Dissident People, on pretext of a Strange, 6 Hours-long, "Coup" Attempt last July 2016, (See, f.ex. : ...), but Only Oraly, withOut any Written Text (f.ex. Draft Resolution, etc) to Vote.

The Next Meeting of PACE's Political affairs Committee has been Scheduled for Monday, November 7, in Paris, France, (as it happens quite often, but not necessarily always).

Its current President is Danish Socialist MEP Mogens Jensen, from the original "Christiansborg" Quarter of Copenhagen. But the Rapporteur had Not yet been officialy chosen.

Recently, after the BreakDown of an initial Americano-Russian Deal for a General Cease-Fire in Syria, the Out-going US President Barack Hussein Obama (Socialist/Liberal) notoriously Accused Moscow for Helping the Syrian Government to recuperate that BeSieged Part of Aleppo City which still remains Controlled by Armed Rebel Groups, and mainly Al-Nusra (an Al-Quaida offspring, classified as "Terrorist", ISIL, FSA, etc), and exchanged "Hot" Claims about alleged Blunders, reportedly with "Humanitarian" a.o. undue Casualties, in some Obscure and Controversial Circumstances, both there and elsewhere in Syria. Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly Replied by Denouncing an alleged Attempt by some of those who are accused to Secretly Arm and/or Fund various Terrorist Gangs in Syria to Hinder a Liberation of Alepo from "Al- Nusra" and other (often also Foreign) Terrorists, by the Government of the Country, under Fallacious Pretexts, letting "Al-Quaida" affiliates to abuse of Civilian People as "Hostages" serving as a "Human Shield".

Out-going French President Hollande (Socialist), was suddenly pushed to take a Similar position to that of Obama, tabling an Alternative Motion for Resolution on Aleppo by UNO's Security Council, and Accusing for alleged "War Crimes" Russia, which had already presented a Different Motion for Resolution at the UNSC on a Wider CeaseFire in Syria. This resulted, inter alia, also to an exceptional Postponement of a Visit in Paris that Russian President Putin had initialy planned and agreed for Next Week, on Octobe 19, (See, f.ex.: ...)

But in subsequent Tripartite Encounter by Phone between Hollande, Putin and German Chancelor Angie Merkel, (who Might, eventualy, Host in Berlin a Top Diner, in "Normandy 4" format, together with Hollande, Putin and Poroshenko on the still Pending issue of Ukraine, for the Implementation of the "Minsk"Agreements' Peace process, perhaps, also on October 19, according to some sources), an official Press Communique issued by the German Government in Berlin, (and made immediatly Accessible to registered Journalists, including "Eurofora"), significantly Focuses on ensuring a CeaseFire asap at the Syrian conflict in general.

Concerning particularly Aleppo, Russia said that it Backs a UN Envoy offer for "Al Nusra" a.o. Islamic Armed Gangs (Comp. Supra),  to Leave out of the City, in a special Evacuation operation, placed under a guaranteed CeaseFire for that purpose.

But the Obvious Question raised, in relation with Today's PACE Bureau Decision, (Comp. Supra), is whether, and in what measue, the PanEuropean Organisation's Assembly could, or not, Legitimately Debate and Vote on such a "Hot" Topical issue as Aleppo, etc., Despite the Exceptional current Absence of All Russian MEPs, (See,f.ex.:...): A Fact which has already had, in practice, indirectly but naturaly, Dissuaded the CoE to Debate several other  "Hot" Issues on the Dramatic on-going Developments in Syria, a Neighbouring to Europe and strategicaly located Country, until now.

OSCE rotating Chairman in office for 2016, German Foreign Minister Steinmeier, had just stressed, Yesterday at the CoE in Strasbourg, that "Channels of Dialogue with Russia" should be maintained, despite Difficulties,in order to search much needed Compromises and/or Solutions for Peace, f.ex. in Ukraine and/or Syria, etc., "including (at a) Parliamentary" level, as he had Topicaly added, (See, f.ex.: ....).

 => Is there any, eventualy "Special Formula" to Find for that Important forthcoming PACE Gathering in Cyprus, on November 2016, (particularly following also a Recent Summit of CoE Member States' National Parliament Speakers, held last September in Strasbourg, with the Participation also of the Russian Senate's Experienced President Valentina Matvienko - a close ally to President Putin :Comp. f;ex. her previous Statements to "Eurofora" at :...), or something else which might, perhaps, serve, in one way or another, the cause of Peace and Human Rights ? 

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/-  CoE has an Important Role to play, particularly on East-West Dialogue","including Parliamentarian", stressed on  occasion of Russia, German Foreign Minister, Günter SteinMeier, speaking in the Exceptional Absence of any Russian MEP, since Mosciw was incited to Leave CoE's PanEuropean Assembly, by a controversial Minority's manoeuvers, which exploited the Pretext of the notoriously Provoked Tragic Division of Ukranian People, back on 2014, (See :...).

However, he Dismissed Both the Views of those who Find that Europe is Dangerously Leaning Back to a Cold War Era of the Past, and of those, who, on the Contrary, might be Nostalgic of a Dissuasion-based Stability that partly existed when the whole World was Shared Between 2 SuperPowers, at Washington or Moscow.

Today's real Situation is Not the Same, he Warned, evoking, inter alia, some "Emerging" New Factors, (without Clarifying Explicitly if he meant, f.ex. China, perhaps Iran, or even the Differend, Atypical Risks of ISIS' spreading Islamic Terrorism, etc), and, therefore, he Urged to Keep "Chanels of Dialogue" with Russia always Open, Waiting also for the moment when the "Conditions for the Return" of Russian MEPs in the PACE would be met, as he said.

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+Speaking in his Double Identity, at the same time as OSCE Chairman in office for 2016,  Steinmeier, went concrete, Today, on the state of play for Minsk Agreement Implementation efforts.

He arrived shortly after French President Hollande's official visit, earlier this week in Strasbourg, during PanEuropean, 47 Member Countries strong, CoE's Parliamentary Assembly's plenary Autumn 2016 Session (10-14 October 2016), and just Before a possible, forthcoming, Trilateral or Quadrilateral, "Normandy 4" format (Germany, France, Russia, Ukraine) Summit in Berlin, eventualy for Thursday Next Week, (on 19/10/2016). I.e. Eve of a forthcoming EU Summit in Brussels, due to examine also relations with Russia, (20+21/10/2016).

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In fact, currently, -"We (Germany+ OSCE's rotating 2016 Chairmanship) are doing all we can to Ensure that the Vonflict in Eastern Ukraine does Not Escalate. We are doing all we can with a view to Finding Solutions, and I hope we will be supported in that", Steinmeier advanced, in one among a Series of Replies to various relevant Questions by MEPs.

- "There is No Alternative" to "the Minsk Agreement" (brokered by a Quadrilateral Summit in Bielorussia, on February 2015, which had dressed a Series of Concrete Targets, a RoadMap towards Peace, and even an Initial TimeLine in order to achieve them, up to a Comprehensive Settlement of the Ukranian crisis), he Repeatedly stressed.

In this regard, the German Government, stands as also several "Other Countries in Europe", which have, already, "roundly Condemned the Annexation of Crimea, and Russian Involvement in Eastern Ukraine", (as he desrcribed what Russia and others call, on the Contrary, as an overseas Teleguided "Coup" at Kiev, which Violently Reversed an Elected Government, slamed a Peace Deal which had just been Signed with the Opposition, in the presence also of 3 EU Foreign Ministers from Germany, France and Poland, launching afterwards Deadly and Destructive Military Attacks against the Population of Pro-Autonomy, Russian-Ethnic Regions of Donetsk/Luhansk, so that Crimeas People, who both Historicaly and Ethnicaly were almost always Russian, urged, with a Popular Referendum, their ReUification, Back to Russia, mutatis-mutandis almost as the former Eastern Germany had done with the Fall of Berlin Wall, back after 1989, by ReUniting Together with the former Western Germany, as Moscow Top Officials have repeatedly Claimed, even here at the CoE in Strasbourg).

-"But ...Politics is Not just about Statements – you have to Act", and, then, "it is Better and more Responsible to attempt to Appease the situation of Conflict in Eastern Ukraine, and attempt to find a Solution",  "and that is what we are doing", he explained.

- In fact, "We Need to ensure that All the Parties involved are brought around the Table" of Negotiations for Peace, the German Minister stressed, in this regard. Even "in our (Germany's 2016) Chairmanship of the OSCE (the most Engaged in Peace-Keeping efforts at Ukraine, nowadays), and ..(even)...when .... dialogue has been broken off, we have always striven to Ensure that Dialogue is maintained, in spite of the difficulties".

"In the context of our efforts to secure a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian conflict, I hope that we will be able to create ....the conditions for the Russian delegation to Return and take part in the meetings and work of (CoE's) Parliamentary Assembly", even if it might be done only "in the medium term", he estimated.

Because, concerning  "the conflict in Ukraine, ...Russia has a major contribution to make, not only to pacify the situation, but in the medium term to ensure a solution to the conflict".

In particular, "we are working through the Normandy format with France, Russia and Ukraine with a view to finding a Political Solution for East Ukraine, as laid down in the Minsk Agreements", Steinmeier pointed out.

At least, "I am doing my utmost to ensure that, despite the difficulties, we continue to try to ensure that the Individual Components of the Minsk agreement can be delivered".
In this regard :

- "a negotiated Cease-fire, ...has been Violated frequently, so we have to Stabilise it", the German MFA observed.

F.ex., "a couple of weeks ago, we managed to conclude a Disengagement agreement, initially in three Areas along the border. If that is fully implemented, we hope that it will take us a Step closer to a full cease-fire'.

- "Work on the Political strand of the agreement is more Difficult. It involves 3 different proposals for Legislation: the Amnesty law, the local Elections law, and the state of Emergency law".

"We are doing our utmost to bring together the different positions, although, so far, we have Not succeeded. We have to Continue working on this",

But, we "have already spent a great deal of time and effort on it", and, therefore, "I hope that we are Now in a position to do the Groundwork, which will enable us to move towards Agreement on legislation", he Optimisticaly estimated.

- "Once the legislation is agreed, we must then ensure the necessary Security conditions to allow Elections to proceed", Steinmeier added.

. "Again, that will require a great deal of work to convince the different parties to support it. For the time being", conditions are not in place, so we have to ensure that they are in the Finustre", he concluded.

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Burt, Meanwhile, it's a "Fact that the Divide between the East and the West, in the case of Russia, has grown", Steinmeier acknowledeged.

- "Many people say that we are reverting to a Cold War, or that things are reminiscent of the Cold War period".

+ And, it might be true, that "Division of the World into 2 parts, with 2 capitals Dominating world events, can help to Pacify conflict".

- "But I do not think that that is correct" Nowadays, Steinmeier criticaly pointed out.
>>> - Because, "the World of Today is Not the Same as the world of the ’60s and ’70s", he stressed.

 - In fact, "the World has Changed" : - "We No longer live in a world in which countries are orientated in the direction of Either Moscow, or Washington".

>>> - "Instead, the Modern World has seen a number of Protagonists Emerging, which renders the situation far more Complex". And this goes, "certainly when we think of Syria", Steinmeier observed, probably referring to ISIS' Islamc Terrorism Dangerous Spread, from the Middle East to Africa, and around Europe, as well as, even overseas, recently in the US itself, etc.

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 - Therefore, "Against (such) a backdrop of Growing Tensions, the role of the (Strasbourg HeadQuartered) Council of Europe is more important than ever", he stressed, Pointing particularly at its potential "as a Long Standing Partner in Dialogue, between East and West".

- "I am profoundly convinced that, in Difficult Times, we should Not Cut off the channels of Communication. It is important that we keep all these channels Open, including Parliamentary", the German Foreign Minister underlined, but withOut revealing How this should be done, as things stand since 2014.

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However, Steinmeier, (who is in his 2nd Coalition Government in Berlin with ChristianDemocrat/EPP German Chancellor Angie Merkel, openly Agreed with French President Hollande's acceptance of a 4rth PanEuropean Summit of CoE's 47 Heads of State/Government in the forseable Future, (notoriously expected to turn around a concept of "Democratic Security" now, and which will be the First to come Since the 2005 landmark Summit in Warsaw, Poland, which had Focused on Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, endorsing the ReUnification of Europe then: Comp. "Eurofora" co-Founder's NewsReports from Warsaw, then, ublished at "TCWeekly"+).

But, interestingly, he Advanced his proposed Date, from that "2019" Year (of French CoE rotating Chairmanship), to which had, surprisingly pointed Hollande, much more Near Today: on "2017", as Steinmeier said, apparently prefering a much more Imminent Move.

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- In the Biggest public Debate held until now in European/International Institutions on that strange, 6 Hours-long "Coup Attempt" in Turkey and particularly the Mass Oppression Mesures taken against various Dissidents there since July 2016, the 47 Member Countries-strong, PanEuropean CoE's Organisation for Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, gave an Opportunity for Various, more or less Strong Critical Voices among MEPs to be Heard, including several Calls for Sanctions, such as Credentials' Suspension and/or a Threat to Return Back to a "Monitoring" procedure, incompatible with a Status of any EU Accession Candidate hopeful, (See Infra), etc. But an Immediate Decision was, controversialy, Excluded, apparently opening a way for one or another adequate Action either on November 2016, during an exceptionaly Important CoE Assembly meeting in Cyprus, (the Incoming, Next CoE President-in-office for the period of 11/2016-5/2017), or, rather, for its Next Plenary Session in Strabourg, on January 2017, (as the President of the Biggest PACE Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, MEP Axel Fischer from the Governing Majority in Germany, had already said to "Eurofora", as early as since June 2016 : See ...., and Confirmed Today).

However, several MEPs strongly Criticized Today's exceptional absence of any Written Text to Vote, at a Current Affairs Debate, while, on the Contrary, Urgent Action to Help manifold Victims of an Unprecedented Massive Oppression  against various Dissidents in Turkey is obviously Needed, so that certain Earlier CoE possible Moves, are not excluded at all, at this Sensitive but Rapidly Evolving Field... 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
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Naturaly, Nobody here didn't Defend that Strange "Coup Attempt" of less than 6 Hours, (even if its Mysterous Instigators had reportedly Claimed, curiously, to Restore secular Democracy and Human Rights, as well as, particularly "Peace", immediately launching even a Call for Turkish Troops which had Invaded Iraq to Return Back Home, Contrary to the Brutal Stern Reply of a Blunt "Niet" that Ankara's Government has just given to an Official Appeal by the Iraqi Government and Parliament to evacuate the Turkish Military from their Country recently).

But some MEPs did raise Critical Questions, asking : - "Who was Responsible for that Coup ? ...Who was Behind it ?", and evoked "an Alternative narrative" : "They (the current Turkish Government) say it was ...Fethullah Gülen". But, "for 9 successive Years the AKP Government collaborated with the Gülen movement to occupy very influential Posts... Then, on 15 July (2016), cale the So-Called "Gülen Coup", but it's the People .. who are Now Paying the Price, in terms of their Rights and Freedoms", Denounced Dissident Turkish MEP Kurkcu.

And this impression was, at least partly, Strengthened further by "Reminding" simply the Fact that, already "for a Long Time" Before that Coup Attempt of "July 2016", "has been going in the Wrong Direction", as, f.ex., when "Violence, already, Increased after the Elections in June 2015", after which, "Opposition Party HDP's .. Offices were Attacked, and Thousands of Journalists, Academics and Activists had been Arrested", while "the Violence, particularly in Eastern Turkey, had Increased". F.ex., "in several Kurdish Cities, a State of Emergency and a Curfew had been Introduced, and Residents were Not Able to get Access to Water, Electricity, and HealthCare", with "Hundreds of Kurds (being) Killed, and Thousands Forced to Leave their Homes", resulting in a damned "Amnesty International ... Report stating that Turkish Security Forces enDanger the Lives of 200.000 Civilians, and Condemned those actions as  a Collective Punishment", Swedish MEP Miss Johnsson-Fornave denounced.

In Addition to that, "the Impression that .... Mr Erdogan is Exploiting this moment in order to Transform Turkey into a fully-fledged Dictatorship", was stressed f.ex. by Swedish MEP Mr. Nissinen, "expecting Turkey to dispell" it. While Others, as f.ex. Dissident Turkish MEP Ozsoy, or Armenian MEP Farmanyan, etc., Denounced a kind of "Counter-Coup" by the AKP Government.

Most MEPs Focused, however, on Condemning a series of blatantly "DisProportionate" Violations of Human Rights and Restrictions of Democratic Freedoms, pointing mainly a the Massive Arrests and/or imprisonment of more than 25-30.000 People and/or Dismissals of more than 100.000 of People in Turkey, and particularly of Civil Servants, Soldiers, Judges, Universitarians, Teachers, Journalists, etc., many of them on the basis of Pre-Existing "Lists", instead of Individual Evidence, in Addition to Kurds Violently Attacked even Before that "Coup Attempt", as well as Excessive Violations of Freedom of Expression and Medias, Lifts of Dissident MPs Parliamentary Immunity, etc., which did Not seem at all to find an Excuse at July 2016's Short-lived, strange "Coup Attempt".

=> Therefore, the Question of CoE's reaction, as Guardian of Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law being clearly Raised, a Controversy emerged about the Right way for Strasbourg's PanEuropean Organisation to Act vis a vis the current Turkish regime's wrongdoings :

- Several MEPs strongly Criticized as "hardly more significant than a Late-Night TV Chat Show" PACE's toothless "Current Affairs Debate" wuthOut even any Vote on a Written Report and Resolution/Recommendation, nor any other Decision or Sanction vis a vis the Turkish Authorities, which "Diminishes" MEPs' role, and/or as  "Chamberlain's Failed policy of "Appeasement" against Hitler before the beginning of the Second World War", (f.ex. Mr Cruchten from Luxembourg, and Kurkcu from Turkey, respectively, etc). While MEP Villumsen from Denmark cited Victims of Human Rights Violation "Choked by the Lack of Reaction from Europe", and stressed that it was "Urgent to Act Now", or otherwise "the situation in the Country will Explode".

Already, the Number of Asylum Demands from various Turkish People Started to rapidly Multiply having ..."Doubled in Germany", "Tripled in the USA", and resulting also in "3 Times More Applications in the UK", (as registered, f.ex. by the UK-based "Asylum for Academicians at Risk" NGO), other MEPs pointed out. While the Spokesperson of the Liberal Group of MEPs, Mrs Fiala from Switzerland, denounced that "Turkey fils us with Concern", because "it is not only Evolving, more and more, in the direction of an Authoritarian State, but even becomes an <<Exporter>> of such Authoritarianism, by Intimidating Turkish Citizens living Abroad, and, by so doing, Violating the Sovereignity of other Countries" located in Europe.

Many MEPs spoke for Sanctions concerning f.ex. "Credentials' Suspension" for pro-Government Turkish MEPs, and/or, particularly, for putting Ankara Back under a "Monitoring" procedure by PACE's specialized Committee, as, f.ex., among several others, also MEP Rouquet from the Governing Party in France, (which Risked to Freeze also Turkey's controversial and unpopular EU bid process, as Before 2004/2005, since, as a matter of General Principle, there canNot be any kind of "Accession Negotiations" with a Candidate Country if it still remains under "Monitoring" by the CoE).

Indeed, a Motion for Resolution Tabled earlier this Week asks to Re-"Open the Monitoring procedure with respect to Turkey immediately". It was Drafted by the Vice-President of CoE's Assembly, Danish Liberal MEP Michael Jensen, Head of National Delegation, and Signed also by 26 Other mainstream MEPs : Such as, f.ex., Experienced former Foreign Minister and f. PACE's Political Affairs Committee President, Dora Bakogiannis from Greece, current President of PACE's Committee on OECD and BERD, or KLuis Leite Ramos from Portugal, PACE's General Rapporteur for Local/Regional DeCentralisation, etc., Karl Gardarsson : Head of National Delegation from Iceland and vice-President of PACE's Political affairs Committee, Mrs Hermine Naghdalyan from Armenia, Head of the National Delegation, Doris Fiala from Switzerland, vice-President of PACE's Committee on Refugees and Migration, German Socialist MEP Ute Finckh-Kramer, Andrei Hunko from Germany, vice-President of the Euro-Left Group of MEPs, French ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEPs from the Main Opposition Party of the Republicans, Bernard Fournier and Francois Rochebloine, (etc), covering All the Political Spectrum of PACE, from the Conservative to the ChristianDemocrat, Socialist, Liberal and Left Groups.

In the "Aftermath" of that strange, Failed "Coup Attempt" of July 2016, Turkish President "Erdogan has introduced a policy ... in deep Contradiction with Turkey’s obligations as Bember State of the CoE", since "the reaction from the side of the Turkish Government is far Beyond what can be tolerated within the Framework of Membership of the CoE", all these Mainstream MEPs also Warn in that written Motion, officialy tabled.

+ In Addition, anOther, Parallel Motion for Resolution, Tabled Today in Strasbourg, Focusing specialy on "Torture and ill treatment in Turkey in the aftermath of the coup attempts", strongly Denounces the Fact that, recently, "there have been Serious and Numerous allegations of ill treatment and/or Torture of those Arrested", with "Documented cases of Beatings and Torture, including Rape, hich happened in official and Unofficial Detention Centres (e.g. Sports centers and Corridors of courthouses)", etc., asking from CoE's Assembly to "look into these Alarming Reports of Large Scale Violations of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment or torture)", which notoriously "enshrines an Absolute, Non-Derogable Right" for elementary Human Dignity respect, in Any Circumstances, Urging the "Turkish Authorities" to "Immediately put an End to those Practices", "apply a Zero-Tolerance policy", "Investigate any allegation of ill-treatment of those Deprived of their Liberty", "Prevent the resurgence of Such Practices", and "Avoid Impunity of the Perpetrators".  

Apparently Destinated to be Debated in public and Voted at PACE's Standing Committee's shortly forthcoming Session of November 2016 in Cyprus, this Text was Drafted by Polish ChristianDemocrat MEP Aleksander Rociej, and Signed by 21 Other mainstream MEPs, including the Experienced vice-President of the Socialist Group, and Chairman of PACE's Committee for the Election of Euro-Judges, Boris Cilevics from Latvia, (Comp., f.ex., recent and older Cilevics' Statements to "Eurofora" at : ... + ...), MEP Pierre-Yves Le Borgn from the Governing Party in France, German "Green" MEP, member of PACE's Liberal Group, MarieLuise Beck, Experienced former President of PACE, and currently Head of National Delegation, Anne Brasseur from Luxembourg, (Liberal : Comp. various Brasseur Statements to "Eurofora", f.ex. : ...+...+...), vice-President of PACE's Legal affairs and Human Rights Committee, Franck Schwabe, Anoushka van Miltenburg, from the Popular Rightist "Freedom" Party in the Netherlands, mainstream former President of PACE's "Monitoring" Committee, Stefan Schennach from Austria (Socialist), Miss Mailis Reps, vice-President of PACE's Human Rights Committee, a Liberal MEP from Estonia which currently Chairs CoE's Highest Poliical body, that of its Committee of Ministers, (etc).

++ Moreover, the "Proportionality" of "Derogations" from Human Rights by "State of Emergency" measures, Recently taken in Turkey, in Comparison with Ukraine and/or France, should be also Debated in public and give a chance to Vote a Resolution in the forthcoming CoE Assembly's Standing Committee meeting on November 2016 in Cyprus, according to a relevant Motion for Resolution tabled Today in Strasbourg by the Experienced former PACE's President, Anne Brasseur from Luxemburg, as well as by the Vice-President of the Socialist Group, and Chairman of PACE's Political affairs Committee, Morgen Jensen from Denmark, mainstream ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP, former Foreign Minister and f. President of CoE Assembly's Poliical Committee, Dora Bakoyannis from Greece, the President of EuroLeft Group of MEPs, Senator Tiny Cox from the Netherlands, as well as by the President of the Liberal Group, Spanish MEP Jordi Xucla, (etc), out of a Total of 20 Top MEPs officialy supporting that Motion.

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But, Most MEPs seem to rather follow the advise of the President of the Biggest Group of MEPs, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Axel Fischer, Head of the Delegation from Germany, who Called to clearly "Point out what our (PACE's) Concerns are" Today, so that Turkey must "Comply with CoE's Principles and Values, and Ensure that they are Fully Applied and Implemented", and "We (COE) can Look out at Exactly what is Happening" there, Not Excluding an eventual "Opening of a Monitoring procedure with Turkey ... in January (2017)", when "We (PACE) should Take Stock of the Situation in Turkey and Make a New Decision", as he Anounced - confirming the RDV for PACE's Next Full Plenary Session, at the Beginning of Next Year, that he had already Fixed in Statements to "Eurofora" as early as since June 2016, (See .....). Meanwhile, by a Coincidence, it's also until 15 January 2017 that Turkish President Erdogan extended that "State of Emergency" recently.

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The Exceptional Abstention, during Today's Debate on the Situation in Turkey, of All MEPs from its European Neighbouring Countries, which often notoriously Suffer from Ankara's Militaristic Threats, and/or by the recently sharply Aggravated, sudden "Tsunami" of more than 1,5 Million of Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants through Turkey on 2015-2016, i.e. Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, etc., (with the Unique Exception of Armenian MEPs), as well as the Non-Participation of the Big Russian Delegation, as a consequence of the Ukranian Conflict, etc, Obviously gave a much more Lenient overall Impression, than the much more "Hard" and  Critical Image that would have Naturaly resulted IF all the -usualy Critical on Turkey- MEPs from Those Countries had really Participated in PACE's Debate... This Rare Fact should be taken into Account whenever one may eventually Calculate the Chances for any forthcoming proposed Decision on Turkey to be Voted, or Not, by CoE Assembly's Majority in the foreseable Future.

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In particular :

- At the Beginning of this Morning's Debate, astonishingly after the recent BREXIT Referendum for UK's Departure Out of the European Uniion, it was a British MEP, Liddell-Grainger, Chair of the ECB Group (where Most Turkish MEPs are Members), who Spoke the 1st, (and 3 Times Longer than anyone else !), due to an obscure Decision reportedly taken by PACE's "Bureau" for UnKnown Reasons, behind Closed Doors.

Surprisingly, he Never Mentioned, not even Once, the simple Word of "Human Rights", (Contrary to 99% of all Other MEPs), while speaking, in Great Length, about the CoE and Turkey... Instead, he Claimed that the Only "3 Pillars" of the CoE were "Rule of law and Order, Democracy and Governonce or Government", as he curiously, but characteristicaly Restricted them, clearly Excluding any "Human Rights" mention, (as if something about Turkey had made him Forget even the History of his own Country: Great Britain, which is World Famous for havinng been the 1st to Adopt "Magna Carta" and  the "Bill of Rights", long Before such Ideas and Values spread to the American and the subsequent French Revolutions, in the 18th "Century of Enlightnement")...

On the Contrary, he Prefered to "Remember" with Nostalgy a moment ... in front of a Divided Berlin's "Wall", in the Former "West Germany", Back since "1948", i.e. at the Beginning of the "Cold War" era of a bygone now Past, when "Turkey was a Bulwark", as he glossed. Obviously Forgetting the Fact that Turkey was Saved from a Total Collapse of the former  "Ottoman-Turk" Empire of Medieveal Times, thanks to an Opportunistik, Real-Politics move by Stalin and particularly Trotsky, (then "Red Army"'s Chief), who prefered to Lose Ground and Sign an Unfavorable "Karsk" Treaty at the Caucasus, back on 1920, (when the Historic Vladimir Lenin was progressively Pushed aside and Marginalized), which notoriously Threw all Turkish Military against the few Armenians who remained just after the Genocide, Burning alive, Lynching or Brutaly Chassing away all Greek Populatins away from their OverMillenary Ionian Cities, at the Aegean Coast of Anatolia plateau, as Smyrne, (renamed "Izmir" after the Fire, Bloodbath and Mass "Ethnic Cleansing") on 1922, Pushed Out the Italians, the French and the English who had got a Right to Control certain Areas by the 1919 Treaty of Sevres (signed near Paris),  and Ridiculized a Coalition of British, Frendh and other Allies (even from Australia, etc) by Massacrating and Blocking, soon afterwards, an Expedition that they had send to Open the Dardanelles' Straights to International Free Navigation, (Resulting also in an unexpected Fall of one of the most Popular UK Governments, Winner of the 1st World War, that of Lloyd Georges and Young Winston Churchil, who Resigned from Minister, Lost even his MP Seat, and fell ill, risking to Disappear for ever from the Political scene, before he Bounces back in, a Long Time Later-on, when he had become Old), just after a ..Telegram from overseas Canada/USA pushed some British MPs to gather at a Sea resort Hotel towards the Atlantic, and Betray their own Government at London... But Stalin and/or Trotsky had, cynicaly but realisticaly Guessed Right, since what became nowadays Turkey, from that 1922-1923 event and on, (i.e. Mr. Grainger's "Formidable Member of NATO", as he Found Urgent Today to Claim that the Turkish Regime might be, in his own view), notoriously ...Weakened even NATO, (and, in Wider terms, all Western Europe), inter alia, also f.ex., by Provoking a Deep and Long, Dangerous "Rift" inside that Alliance, while Threatening Greece and stll Keeping Tension over the strategically located Aegean Sea's Greek Islands ; by Blocking for 2 Days-long, NATO's most Important, 60th Anniversary Summit of Heads of State/Government, back on 2009 in Strasbourg, (when France devided to reintegrate the Military part of NATO : Comp. "Eurofora"s NewsReports from that Summit, f.ex. : ...) ; Blocked and Delayed EU's Institutional Reforms by Provoking a "No" to the French, Dutch and Irish Referenda of 2005-2007 on a Draft EU Constitution, since EU Citizens had No Other Way to Express their notorious Opposition to Turkey's controversial and UnPopular EU bid ; and, Recently, Ankara's policies have even, reportedly Blocked NATO's own full Deployment all accross the Aegean Sea, which officialy aimed to Help Protect EU's External Borders from an Unprecedented Gros "Tsunami" of more than 1,5 Million of Mass Asylum Seekers/irregular Migrants arriving through Turkey into EU and Shengen Member Greece, trasnsporetd mainly by Turkish Smugglers, (etc).

In such a Context it's Not Astonishing that Mr. Liddell-Grainger, also Found, (while Reading ..."the Financial Times", as he said for a core Human Rights issue  !), that Turkish "President Erdogan has Asked for More Powers" : "He Wants the Power to be able to Ensure the Stability of the Judiciary", that strange UK MEP claimed, Speaking while More than 2.500 - 3.000 Judges have just been Massively Dismissed, Arrested and Thrown to Jail in Turkey nowadays, (perhaps in order to "Stabilize" them even more inside their Prison Cells)...

Naturaly, after such an Impressive Series of "Original" Remarks, (never seen before by "Eurofora"s co-Founder in 23 Years of Experience in Following CoE's main Debates between 1993-2016), it's Not Surprizing that Mr. Liddell-Grainger, concluded that, according to his Personnal Views, "I feel that they (Turkish Authorities) are doing a Good Job" (sic !)...

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    Unfortunately for him, Swiss MEP Mrs Doris Fiala, SpokesWoman for the Liberal Group of MEPs and vice-President of PACE's Committee on Migration and Refugees, on the Contrary, got the Micro and Started to Call Europeans "Not to be Taken Hostages of Interests", but, on the Contrary, wished to "Voice our (COE's) Concern, that, under the Autocratic Rule of President Erdogan, we are seeing Turkey Drift further Away from our Common Values", as she Warned.

    - "We (CoE Assembly's MEPs) Vehemently Oppose" that, and "it fills us with Concern, that Turkey is evolving, more and more, in the Direction of an Authoritarian State", "even ... Violating the Sovereignity of Other Countries" located in Europe, by "Intimidating Turkish Citizens living Abroad", in addition to "Carrying out a Purge of its own Civil Servants", as she denounced, Urging also AKP's Government to "Renounce ...Religious Populism".

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    - Astonishingly, followed, immediately afterwards, also anOther "ECG" Group's MEP, Mr Onal, from the Turkish Governing Party AKP, who, naturaly, "Thanked" the Previous "ECG" Group's Top Member, "Mr. LiddeL-Grainger,  ....for his ... Views on Turkey", (Comp. Supra), and had Nothing else to say about the Controversial Measures taken recentlmy by Ankara vis a vis Humabn Rights and Democratic Freedoms, than, Simply, to Claim that "the Turkish People are Happy (sic !) that there is a State of Emergency"...

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     - But, on the Contrary, the Spokesman for the "EuroLeft" Group, Dissident MEP of "HDP" (mainly Kurdish Minority in Turkey), Mr. Ozsoy, Slamed "a Counter-Coup" from "the (current Turkish) Government", in order "to reShape Turkey according to the Ambitious Wishes of President Erdogan", and Pointed at the "Grave Violations of fundamental (Human) Rights and Freedoms" that found CoE's "Commissioner Muiznieks" in his "Memorandum" that he "shared on Monday" with CoE's Assembly.

    - In Fact, it's Not Only "the Gülen Community" which is "Negatively Impacted", as Turkish Foerign Minister Cavusoglu had Claimed Yesterday here, but also "Universities, the Courts, the Media, Local government, civil Society, Commercial firms and companies, and Opposition political parties", etc., which "are under Tremendous Repression, as Documented by various independent Observers, EU ...and CoE Authorities. There is absolutely No Separation of Powers, No rule of Law, No Impartiality of the Courts, and No Constitutional rule in the country", he Denounced.

    + Moreover, "at least 130 000 Civil Servants and 3 000 Judges and Prosecutors were Dismissed overnight. Many Kurdish TV Channels were Closed down, (even Zarok TV, a Kurdish cartoon TV channel for Children)".... "More than 60 Elected Kurdish Mayors were Dismissed, and trusties were Appointed by the central Government. Yesterday and the day before, 180 HDP Executives were taken into Custody, and all our Offices are regularly Raided by the Police".

    => - "The current (Turkish) Government is Terrorising Society, producing a climate of Fear, Chaos and Insecurity, with which to Rule the country and consolidate Erdoğan’s One-man rule".

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     Followed one of the Most Astonishing Phenomena in this Turkey Debate : A so-called "Spokesperson for the EPP", Mr. Nemeth, who, in Fact, did Not Express almost Noone among the Most Important EPP Members, (f.ex. Not the French, Neither the German EPP MEPs, as it became Soon Obvious by what said those who Spoke Afterwards : See Infra), who Curiously Found that nowadays "Turkey is (an) Exceptional in Europe, ..Role Model (sic !) for ...Democratic Islam", on which there should Not be any "Artificial Pressure", "No Suspension of Credentials or Monitoring Threat towards Turkey", (as Many Other MEPs are Asking : Comp. Supra and Infra).

    At the Opposite, he asked for "Visa Liberalisation .. of Turkey vis a vis the EU", asking from ..."Europe" to "Fulfill its Promisses" (sic !), and particularly "the EU" to "Carry out its Tasks regarding the Visa Liberalisation" for 80 Millions of Turks to be Allowed to Enter inside the EU during 6 Months Each Year, (a notoriously Controversial and UnPopular Turkish Claim, that Ankara has attempted to push by Blackmailing the EU from the Start, Exploiting the Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants InUnprecedented Giant Wave through Turkey into Europe on 2015-2016 , without taking, however, into account, the New Fact that the Closure of the Western Balkans' route by 5 or 6 European Countries, (such as FYROM, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary and  Austria), which Succeeded to Radicaly Diminish that Influx, even Before that EU - Turkey Controversial Deal might progressively Start to be put into Practice, at least Partly, (See, f.ex.: ...+...).

Astonishing, particularly from an Hungarian MEP, even notoriously Atypical, who doesn't seem at all to be Conscious of his Prime Minister, Victor Orban's Famous Policy..., (Comp. f.ex., inter alia, also PM Orban's Replies to "Eurofora" Questions at his Press Conference at the EU-27 Summit in Bratislava, and Slovak PM Fico's Replies to "Eurofora"s relevant Questions in his PressConference at the latest EU-28 Summit in Brussels : ....+.... respectively).

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    - In Sharp Contast, MEP Mrs Rodriguez-Ramos, SpokesWoman of the Socialist Group of MEPs, Strongly Denounced the Fact that "in Turkey, the Situation is simply Not Compatible with the rule of Law ... It Undermines all constitutional Rights and Affects the Kurdish people as a whole, ... Parliamentarians have Lost their Immunity, and ...Turks and Kurds .. can be Fired withOut their labour rights being respected. A People as a whole is being cast Under Suspicion", for which "We (CoE) have a clear Duty to express Doubts and Reservations"; F.ex., some (Human) Rights simply canNot be Suspended, such as the Presumption of Innocence, the right to a Fair Trial and to Personal Responsibility", i.e., "Sanctions can Never be applied to Families and Friends of suspects, as is Happening" Now in Turkey.

    => In consequence, "It is Unacceptable for us (CoE) ...not to cast a Critical eye over what has been happening. Even in a state of emergency, a State canNot be allowed to Suspend the rule of Law", but, on the Contrary, "we (CoE) have a Duty ...to Defend Democracy. Turkey canNot be allowed to "use" the situation as an Excuse for Suspending democracy’s Fundamental Values, one of which is the Convention on Human Rights", as she reminded.

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    => Rare Fact nowadays : A so impotant mainstream ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP, as Experienced former PACE President Jean-Claude Mignon from France, "Fully AGREE(D) with what was just said by our Excellent Colleague, Ms Rodriguez Ramos" (Soc. : Comp. Supra), observing that, on the Contrary, he "was Not ...Convinced by ...what was Said, Yesterday, by (Turkish Foreign Minister) Mr. Mevlut Cavusoglu" :

    - "A Question was put yesterday to Mr Çavuşoğlu about Mr Erdoğan’s will – Turkey’s will – to reinstate the Death sentence. For God’s sake, do Not reinstate the Death sentence in a country such as Turkey. Do Not Regress. Let us continue to apply the European Convention on Human Rights. One of the Greatest mMistakes that Turkey ... could make is to reinstate the Death sentence..... Do Not Fall into a Trap – please, for God’s sake, do Not reinstate the Death sentence in your country !", he implored, (widely Applauded).

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    - Indeed, "the Voices Calling for the reintroduction of the Death penalty in Turkey are another strong Signal to (CoE) Strasbourg and (EU) Brussels", observed Armenian MEP Mr. Farmanyan.

    + "What has Happened since (the "Coup-Attempt" of July 2016) suggests a clear WithDrawal from its Democratic track, and can be termed <<a Counter-Coup>> : Widespread Arrests, illegal Punishment, Extended Detentions, the Mistreatment of Thousands of Suspects, including Journalists and Intellectuals, a Crackdown on the Media and civil Society, a Witch-Hunt in all State institutions, and a Prolonged state of Emergency", he Denounced.

    - "What Erdoğan has done recently, ...Reminds me of the Horror and Nightmare of the Stalin era. Millions of People ....were officially Accused ... and were Jailed or killed. Erdoğan is trying to Emulate Stalin ... Thousands of People are Accused ..., But No one has Explained ... how Hundreds of Thousands of People became Engaged with (a so-called "Gulen"'s Movement) it in a country where almost Everything is Controlled by State institutions", the maintstream MEP Wondered.          

     - In Fact, "the situation behind the scenes in Turkey is Obvious: Erdoğan is trying to Consolidate Power and build an Unprecedented Autocratic Regime", by "Changes to the Constitution". "Moreover, increasing Engagement in Syria, Manipulation regarding ...Terrorist Organisations within and outside Turkey, Challenging the Lausanne (1923 Peace) Treaty, an Unwillingness to De-blockade the illegally Closed Border with Armenia, and ... Support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh ...process, are clear signs of Erdoğan’s Increasing neo-Ottoman Ambitions, meaning that millions of Syrian Refugees are now political Hostages in his hands with which to Blackmail Europe", MEP Fartmanyan Timely Warned.

    => So, Now, "What else does neeed Erdoğan to do to make us (CoE) Start <<Monitoring>> Turkey again ?", he Urged, in Conclusion, triggering perhaps the Laudest and Wider Applause of Today.

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    - "Was the Reaction (of Ankara Government) to the failed Coup appropriate, Proportionate and in accordance with our (CoE's) standards?", Wondered another MEP frrom Armenia, Mr Rustamyan.

    - In Fact, "the Turkish Government’s response was Repressive : Tens of Thousands of (Regional) Governors, Civil Servants, Judges and Soldiers were either Arrested or ReMoved from office, withOut Investigation or right of Appeal. The Scale of the Repression was Unprecedented, and has Never been seen in Any member State of the CoE !", he Denounced.

       + F.ex., "there is reliable Evidence of serious violence and Torture in Turkish Prisons. ...that approach goes Beyond the measures Necessary to counter the threat (of another "Coup" Attempt) and canNot be Tolerated in a Member State of the CoE. ... Mr Erdoğan is clearly organising a Witch-Hunt to Eliminate his Political Adversaries, and to strengthen his Authoritarian regime. Events in Turkey prove that there is a Systemic Threat to Human Rights, and that Democratic standards are No longer being applied", MEP Rustamyan concluded.

    => - "As a Result, it is Necessary to reStart the (CoE Assembly's) <<Monitoring>> procedure", he too urged.

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    + Even mainstream British MEP, Lord Anderson, stressed "Our (CoE's) Concerns about certain trends in the Aftermath of the attempted Coup, such as the increasingly Authoritarian President, and the Erosion of Checks and balances".

    -F.ex., "Within 24 Hours after the attempted Coup, 2 700 Judges were Dismissed. It is alleged that they were part of a Gülenist conspiracy, but it is difficult to know who is influenced by Gülen ... Nevertheless, it is difficult to see how being sympathetic to Gülen affected the decisions of those judges", he noted.

    + "Additionally, Schools were Closed, Teachers were Dismissed and Family members were Targeted", Lord Anderson also pointed out.

    => In consequence, "Questions .. Now Arise : "- Was the Net Too Wide ? Did it Catch Innocent People ? What Remedies are available to those who were Unjustly Caught ?", (etc).

    - "If the Turkish Government does Not Respond democratically, there is a Danger that much of the Sympathy that we Had at the Time of the Attempted "Coop" (July 2016), will Evaporate !", he Warned, in conclusion.

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    - "We have seen a Crackdown of Unusual Proportions: Thousands upon thousands of civil Servants, Judges, Lawyers, and many Others have been Arrested and Detained, (with about 2 700 judges arrested and detained the Day After the coup attempt : Perhaps the investigators in Turkey have some kind of special powers, because they knew only a few hours after the coup attempt that all those judges should be arrested for being involved in it...). Moreover, as we heard Yesterday, the Foreign Minister (Cavusoglu) did Not rule Out the Death penalty", Criticaly Observed PACE's vice-President, and Head of National Delegation, Michael Jensen, MEP from Danemark.

    + Moreover, "It is not okay to Close down numerous TV Stations and Newspapers. It is not okay to go out and Arrest Thousands of People because they are on a List of people Against the Government. That is Not OKay, and it should Never be okay for the CoE", he stressed, in addition.

    => "We are therefore seeing Numerous cases of Turkey going over what are <<Red Lines>> for this body" (CoE), which "should be the voice of Democracy, of the Freedom of the Press and Against the Death penalty", Jensen pointed out.

    >>> "It is Important, therefore, that we send a Strong Signal ...That is why we Want Turkey to become a country in <<Monitoring>> again". That's why "I have ...Tabled a Motion (for Resolution), calling for Turkey again to become a country under <<Monitoring>>", he concluded, (Comp. Supra).

___________________________

    - "The response to the coup attempt Must be Proportionate, with Independent Scrutiny of the procedures, ...Careful, wise, prudent and Never affect the lives of ordinary People, as far as Freedom and the rule of Law are concerned", stressed Portuguese MEP Silva, urging the CoE to "Help .. Restore Normal Life".

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    - But, on the Contrary, the current Head of the Turkish Delegation, Mr. Kucukcan, Vowed to "'Bring such People to Justice", as he said for those who sympathized with that strange Coup Attempt.    

    >>> "Bringing them to Justice ... in Turkey – it is our Duty"  We will Chase them Wherever they are, whether inside or Outside Turkey, whether they are called <<intellectuals>>, or this or that. This is an Existential matter for us, and we will Chase them !", Kucukcan threatened.

   =>  Such kind of Moves, obviously give Credit to the Warning given by Swiss MEP Doris Fiala, vice-President of PACE's Committee on Migrations and Refugees, about a Danger for Turkey to "Violate the Sovereignity of Other States", located in Europe and beyond, where it Threatens to "Expport" its "Authoritarianism", also by seeking to "Intimidate Turkish Citizens living abroad", as she had foreseen, (Comp. Supra).

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    - "It is Hard for a Country (like Turkey) to Face so Much Problems, at Once !", Deplored Spanish MEP Gutierrez, (who also Felt  that "the Current Situation" at the Turk-Syrian Borders "Severely Undermines the Credibility of the International Commubity, of the EU and of the CoE").
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              But, as far as it concerns his Astonishing and obviously Excessive Claim that: -"Europe canNot  Exist without Turkey !", (sic), he'd obviously Better Read all those Polls which clearly show that a Strong Majority of Europeans in the Biggest EU Countries, (such as France, Germany, the UK, etc), for years Believes precisely the Contrary of what he says...

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 - For Ms Schou from Norway, "it is very Important to Ensure that Democratic Principles, Human Rights and the Rule of Law are Respected", at this juncture, in Turkey, because "I am Concerned about the developments After the attempted Coup. The Number of Suspensions and Arrests is conspicuously High. Might it be Disproportionate ?", she Worried.

    Among the "Questions (which) remain Unanswered :  Is mere aAffiliation with the Gülen network a good enough reason for suspension or arrest? Is any affiliation with the network seen as involvement in the attempted coup? Was Each Individual’s involvement Examined ahead of the suspensions and arrests? How will each individual's Right to a Fair Trial be Guaranteed in the Judicial Processes to come? It is particularly Important to be Vigilant about the Rights of each individual, and to Avoid Collective punishments".

    => In Concequence, "I Urge the Turkish leadership to Treat People as Individual Persons, and Not to Try them Collectively. They Need to Show the Turkish People, and us (CoE), that democracy and the Rule of Law prevail", she Concluded.

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    For Turkish main Opposition Party MEP Ms Bilgehan, "Three Months After the events, we face 3 major Questions :

    (1) "How did we reach this situation?"

- "My political Party, ....has always been very Concerned about the Infiltration of the Gulen Brotherhood into Turkey's Administration". But, "our Parliamentary Questions, and Requests for Commissios of Inquiry, have been either Ignored, or Rejected by the (Governing) Majority. Our Leaders made a Mistake when they Chose their Allies", she regretted.

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    (2) "The second Question is: are we experiencing a <<Counter-Coup ?>>

 -" Even President Erdoğan has stated that he is Concerned about a Possible <<Witch Hunt>> and Unjust Decisions", she Warned.

Indeed, "the State of Emergency has lasted for 3 Months, making it Possible for the Government to run the country by Decree, withOut the support or control of Parliament", Ms Bilgehan Denounced.

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    (3)  "The third Auestion that arises is: How do we Put this Behind us?"
    As long as "we (Turkish Establishment's MEPs) have a Political Independence to Express our (MEP's) Opinions ... there is still a Hope that we (IBID) will Not Lose Turkey". And, "let's Hope that this Transition Period will be as Short as possible", she simply Urged, (apparenty Accomodating herself with all the Rest : Comp. Supra and Infra)...

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    - For the New President of PACE's Biggest Political Group : that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP MEPs, Axel Fischer from Germany, "Honesty" asks to "Be Clear about the Fact that",  Already Before that July 2016 Coup Attempt, "We (PACE) Had to Deal Intensively with the (problematic) Human Rights' situation in Turkey", (f.ex. also on June 2016, and even Long Before that), he "Reminded" :

- F.ex., on "Media Freedom in Turkey" Issues, that "we (MEPs) had Discussed at Great Length" before July 2016. And, "we have also had several Discussions", in Addition, when "More than 100 MPs Lost their Immunity overNight", while "we know that Immunity is very Important for Parliamentarians".

+ Moreover, Now, After that Coup Attempt of July 2016, CoE can't forget that "We are (not only) in the House of Democracy, here, But Also in the House of Human Rights !", EPP/CD President Axel Fischer stressed, (obviously in Reply to some Unique Claims made Earlier Today by British ECG Group Chair Liddell-Grainger, who had, Astonishingly, Completely Ommitted that Word, and Abstained from Any Criticism of the Turkish Authorities, almost as if Nothing Fishy hadn't happened at all : Comp^. Supra)...

=> In Consequence, "we (MEPs) have Expressed our Concerns, and will Continue to do so", he stressed. Now "We (PACE) Need to Make very Clear what our Expectations .. from the turkish Delegation are", because "we Want them to Comply with the Principles and Values of the CoE, and Ensure that they are fully Applied and Implemented in Turkey", he Warned. In Addition, "We can, then, Look Exactly at What is Happening (Now, i.e. After that July 2016 Coup Attecmpt) in Turkey, (also) in terms of the Legal Proceedings that are instituted  Against (many Thousands : Comp. Facts Supra) of People" Nowadays.

>>> He also Warned that, Meanwhile, "Thousands of Cases from Turkey" Risk Now to be "Lodged with the ECHR in Strasbourg" (for Massive Fresh Violations of Human Rights), and expressed the "Hope that (at least) Most of these Cases" would "be Resolved in Turkey".

+ Most Important, Axel Fischer, while being, "for the Time Being", reluctant "against opening a <<Monitoring>> Procedure with Turkey" imemdiately now (October 2016), "However", he Confirmed that, "in January (2017 : i.e. as he had already Anounced to "Eurofora" since June 2016, See : ....), We (PACE) should Take Stock of the Situation in Turkey, and Make a New Decision", as he pointed out, without excluding anything for then....
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However, independently of the "Honesty" of President Fischer's own Stance, as far as COE's main Principles are concerned, a Previous Claim that he made Earleir Today, that "it goes without saying that Turkey would have been Suspended from the CoE, IF the (July 2016) Coup had Succeeded", as he stressed very "Clear(ly) about this", (i.e. Agreeing with a Similar stance, Expressed here Yesterday also by COE's Secretary General, Thornbjorn Jagland), Nevertheless, all that Simply does Not Fit to the Real Facts concerning CoE's Historic Practice :

- Indeed, CoE, even if it has, certainly, pushed the Former "Colonels" regime in Greece to Leave the CoE, back in the 1970ies, Helping to the ReEstabishment of a Parliamentary Democracy in Athens Later-on, Nevertheless, (in Addition to a Tolerance of various Other Authoritarian regimes in the Past of Spain, Portugal etc), moreover, in the Particular Case of Turkey, the PanEuropean Organisation had Not "Suspended" at all Ankara in the Past, not even when a Democraticaly Elected Turkish Prime Minister (Menderes) had been Brutaly Lynched and Hang alive by a Mob Back in the 1960ies, (reportedly making, then, a COE's Legal Affairs and Human Rights Director to Protest that, in fact, "such a Turkey had No Place inside the CoE", as well informed Sources from the Strasbourg Organisation have revealed to "Eurofora"). And such a Lack of Decisive Action from the CoE vis a vis Turkey, notoriously occured also Back at the Beginning of the 1980ies, concerning one of the Worst Military "Coups" in Ankara, which had even Radicaly Changed the Constitution of the Country then. As well as, even Back on 1997, ('i.e. also After the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the ReUnification of Europe, between 1989-1996), when the Turkish Army, anew Interfered in the Political Life of the Country, and notoriously Pushed the Elected then Prime Minister Erbakan, (a spiritual "Father" for Erdogan, his Successor to their reshufled Political Party), Out of the Government, as well as a lot of Other Top Political Leaders, also Pushed Out of the Political Life of the Country, (Comp. Erbakan's Reply to "Eurofora" co-Founder's Question, during a Press Conference at "Sofitel" Hotel in Strasbourg, on the occasion of his Unique Visit to the CoE, just before those events).

In consequence, since COE hadn't acted decisively to "Suspend" Turkey (Contrary to what he did in the case of Greece), Neither in the Sixties, Not even in the Eighties, Nor on 1997, i.e. during all those 3 Interferenecs of the Turkish Army into the Political Life of the Country, in a quite Violent Way, Openly Disregarding Human Rights, etc., (Comp. Supra), then, it's Obviously Difficult, if not Impossible, to See how CoE would, Exceptionaluy, and for the 1st Time, suddenly Change its Long- Established Practice, just on July 2016, and Start to "Suspend" Only an alleged "Coup", which had, However, Claimed that it Intended to "Restore a Secular Democracy and Human Rights", as well as "Peace", and had even, reportedly, Called for the Turkish Military Invasion inside Iraq to Stop, ordering the Troops to Return Back Home, (i.e. something that, on the Contrary, Mr. Erdogan has just Notoriously Refused to do, despite a crystal-Clear call by the Both the Iraqi President and a Resolution adopted by the Parliament of Bagdad)...

In pure Theory, it's True, however, that, Regardless of all those Facts of the Past, Nowadays, on 2016, CoE's Political Leaders MIGHT, eventualy, Decide, indeed, for the 1st Time (with the Only "Exeption" of Greece : Comp. Supra), to, at last, Start Acting Decisively also at the, obviously, very "Special" Case of Turkey, by Putting an End to an Old Policy of "Double Standards" whenever Ankara was concerned in the Past. So that Axel Fischer and Thornbjorn Jagland's Hypothesis (Comp. Supra), supported now also by PACE President Pedro Agramunt, could, perhaps, have worked, Last Summer. But, as things stand until now, during CoE's more than 65 Years long History, (Comp. f.ex. Supra), this is just a pure (even if plausible) Speculation.

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    But, brand New MEP from Luxembourg, Mr. Cruchten, sincerely Found all that, tragicaly Insufficient, at least for the Time being :

- An "Initial Enthusiasm with which I embarked" as a PACE's MEP, just "2 Years ago",  Now "has given way to a more Sober attitude", he confessed : - "I am Sorry, ...but I Fail to Understand Why this week we are Not adopting a Resolution, Report or Recommendation on the current Critical Situation in Turkey ?!", he Protested.

 - "If we, as champions of the rule of law, democracy and human rights, do Nothing about such Serious Violations of Human Rights as are occurring in Turkey today, we are Not taking ourselves Seriously. ... We deal with these issues under “current affairs” – in other words, "Business as Usual". Is this just a Banal or Trivial issue to the CoE ?", he Wondered

=> So, "Rather than ... (only) having a <<Current Affairs>> Debate – ...that is hardly more significant than a Late-Night TV Chat Show" (sic !), where  "we (MEPs) Diminish Ourselves by so doing", i.e., by "turning this Chamber into a Debating Society ...Afraid of taking Decisions", on the Contrary, "We Should take ourselves Seriously" : "The Gloves Need to come Off", MEP Cruchten Urged.

 >>> Because, in Fact, "just As we (COE) Condemn the attempted military Putsch, we Should Also be severe in our Condemnation of What has Happened in its Aftermath", he stressed.

Indeed, inter alia, f.ex., "there is talk of reintroducing the Death penalty".
And "More than 100 000 Teachers, Professors, Judges, Police officials and civil Servants have been Suspended or imPrisoned, as have 125 independent Journalists". And "this is all on the basis Not of Evidence or proof, But rather of Suspicion and <<Lists>>; they are People who are Merely Suspected of having some kind of tie to the Gülen group. One Wonders What will Happen to All these People"...

Moreover, "even Before July’s events, we (PACE) have been Critical of the approach to the Opposition HDP Party, many Members of which have been Silenced, Locked up or Removed", he reminded.

=> That's why, "ne suspects that Turkey is Drifting even further Away from Democracy, and moving in the Direction of Absolutism", the New MEP from Luxembourg Concluded.

-----------------------------------

    - CoE's Parliamentary Assembly "is a Forum of Representatives of People from across Europe", "It is a People’s Forum, based on Democracy, Human Rights and the rule of Law", and "we expect PACE to regard the situation in Turkey from the point of View of the prospects of democracy and Human rights", went on to Add, (in a Similar Direction as the Previous Speeker from Luxembourg : Comp. Supra), Dissident MEP Kurkcu from Turkey, (Opposition).

    - "It is Not an interGovernmental coalition for Defence and Security, based on geopolitical and strategic concerns, like NATO... CoE is not the place to Barter (Human) rights and Freedoms, for Profits and benefits", he criticized. *

    Particularly Now, "as Turkey Rapidly Drifts towards an Authroritarian Regime, this course canNot be Reversed by resorting to Chamberlain's Failed Policy of "Appeaxement" against Hitler, before the Beginning of the 2nd World War", he Warned, (in an Addition that he was Obliged to make Later-on, by Writting, since he was Cut in the Plenary, during his Oral Speech, on Time Pretexts).

--------------------------

    - On the Substance of Today's PACE Debate : - "For the failed Coup of 15 July, there is an Alternative Narrative", MEP Kurkcu pointed out : -"Who was responsible for the coup? ...Who was Behind it?".

    - "They (Ankara's Govenment) say it was ...Fethullah Gülen". But, who placed members of the ...Gülen terrorist organisation in very influential Posts ?", he wondered. Already, as Early as since "2004", "The Turkish National Security Council’s .. report declared the Gülen sect a domestic Threat, and said that Measures should be taken against it. When this document Leaked in the Press in 2013, the responsible ministers in the AKP government said that 9 successive Years the AKP Government (in practice) Collaborated with the Gülen movement to occupy very influential Posts in the Administration, the Judiciary, the Military, Universities, and so on", he Denounced.

+ Moreover, Indeed, even Before "that attempted Coup occured, (of July 2016), there Was Not a Full-scale working Democracy in Turkey", (f.ex. on Press Freedom, Parliamentarians' Immunity, etc). And "Domestic Colonial War was being waged on the Kurdish provinces, according to a so-called <<Crackdown Plan>> that was Leaked to the Press in 2015", and reportedly revealed that "the Turkish Government aimed for a crackdown that would End with 15 000 killings", as he claimed.

++ Even Today, "Turkey is Not Heading towards Democracy", but, rather, towards a kind of "permanent" "State of Emergency" :  F.ex., "the Ministry of Justice" in Ankara is "recently Preparing" a Draft Bill to Transfert Competences from Judges to Prosecutors and Police, he denounced, (+Adde: Comp. Supra).

------------------------------------------------

- "The situation regarding the Attempted Coup is (indeed) Confused", while, on the Contrary, it's crystal-Clear that "the Response to it was a Sudden Repression, ...Excessively Rapid", criticaly observed Italian MEP Mr. Divina.

-  F.ex., "the Lists of those to be Purged, were Prepared Beforehand, presumably". And "their Number ...is Impressive, including Teachers, Policemen, Journalists and Magistrates", etc. It's "an Administrative Purge with No Parallel in the Modern World !", he Denounced, (except, perhaps, of that attempted by Pol Pot's "Khmer Rouges" at Cambodge in the 1970ies)...

    + At the Same Time, "We, in Western Democracies, are under the Threat of True Terrorism, which is International", as f.ex. that of "ISIS". But : - "Why did Turkey ...Not take a ...resolute stand on the Expansion of ISIS right from the begining ? Was that because ISIS was targeting the Kurdish People ? The Kurdish Peshmerga were the first to stem the expansion of ISIS. Turkey’s position has been most Ambiguous, by Allowing things to proceed, and putting a spike in the wheels of the Kurdish People", MEP Divina pointed out.

    ++ In Addition, "we should not Forget that a Russian Sukhoi was Shot down while bombing ISIS and fighting against terrorists in support of the legitimate government of Assad".

    => "As well as Solidarity with the Kurdish people, we need Clarity from the Turkish Government", the Italian MEP concluded.

--------------------------------------------------------

     - "Canadians are deeply Concerned to learn that 70 000 Government Workers, Judges, Military officers and Journalists have been Dismissed from their positions by the Turkish Government, and that 18 000 People have been Detained or Arrested, including civil Servants, Teachers, Academics, and members of the Judiciary, of the civil Society, Media, and the Intelligence services", denounced from the outset MP Tilson from Canada, which has an "Observer" Statuts at the CoE.

    + Moereover, "We are especially Concerned by President Erdoğan’s statements regarding the reintroduction of the Death penalty in Turkey. Pursuing that direction would keep Turkey from complying fully with its obligations under international human rights law", he added.

    => "The manner in which the Turkish authorities conduct their investigations, prosecutions and sentencing, will have a determining Impact on how Canada, and Turkey’s allies, perceive the country", Tilson Warned.  

    As a matter of General Principle, "every country represented in this Assembly (PACE) has the Responsibility to remember the fundamental Values of the CoE, which Canada shares, and to make sure that they are respected among its Members: the protection of Human rights, Democracy and the rule of Law", he concluded.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------  

 
     - "I feel a Growing sense of Unease, ... as I hear the information coming out of Turkey, about Mass Dismissals and the Detention of Judges, Policemen, Teachers, Academics and Journalists", Denounced Swiss MEP Mr. Buchel.

    - In fact, theTurkish "laws in the State of Emergency are Disproportionate", and "they are applied to People who Merely might have a Vague Link to those Responsible for the attempted Coup", he Criticized.

    => "I have 2 Questions :  (A) Is the Extension of the state of Emergency Vital for protecting institutions? (B) Do we believe these broadly defined decrees are Proportionate ?", Buchel Queried.     

    - "Any Definitive Assessment of these measures depends on the reports of independent institutions of the CoE, (f.ex. "Venice Commission", ECHR, etc). We must Wait for their assessment to get a clear picture of what is happening on the ground", he advised.

    - But, Meanwhile, "Thousands of Complaints have (already) been Lodged with Turkish Courts", the Swiss MEP observed. In order to "Prevent an Avalanche of such applications being made to the ECHR, the best way ...is by Ensuring there is full Compliance with the rules of the European Convention on Human Rights", MEP Buchel Warned.

----------------------------------------------------------

    Pro-AKP Government Turkish MEP Mr. Disli, who got immediately ..."4 Heavily Armed BodyGuards", "sent by the Governor of our Area", during the 6-Hours long Coup Attempt, as he said, Regretted that it "has Shaken our Belief in our Army", that "we used to Consider as the House of the Prophet (Moameth)", and "called our Soldiers "Mehmetcik", which means "Little Mohammeds", who "canNot kill their own People, from which they get their Arms, through Taxes", (according to his Pittoresque way to describe those things)...

    - But, nevertheless, "they have Terrorized our (Turkey's) Economy : The Morale of the Turkish Economy has been Terrorized. For almost 26 consecutive quarters, our Ecnomy had Grown" in the Past, "But Now the (US) Dollar is Sky-High", (compared to the Turkish Lira, which Fell Down), "Growth is Slowing, and the Morale of the People ... is Totally Down !", Disli Denounced, (apparently totaly Indifferent to any Human Rights/Democracy Issue)...

-------------------------------------

    + Moreover, almost at the Same Time, "Turkey Now Faces 3 Major Threats", felt Azeri MEP Mr. Seyidov :

    (A) "The First are Terrorist Movements withIn Turkey".

    (B) "The Second is the Threat, not only from the FETO movement (of Gulen), but also from PKK, Daesh (ISIS), and Other Terrorist Organisations", Fighting also from the Outside (mainly Neighbouring) areas.

    (C) "The Third, very Important Threat, which is Not withIN Turkey, comes from this Organisation (CoE !)", Mr. Seyidov curiously Found...

------------------------------------------------

    - "I am ...Concerned by the Scope of the Repression, particularly the Dismissals within the apparatus of the State. The Scope and the Rapid imposition of Sanctions, could lead one to Question whether the measures taken are Proportionate", (as ECHR's case-law notoriously Requires, in order Not to Declare such Oppressive Measures as illegal), Warned French MEP René Rouquet, from the currently Governing Socialist Party.

    + Moreover, "the Suspicion is that this is all within the context of an Authoritarian Drift by (Turkish) President Erdoğan, that (had) Began even Before the attempted Coup", he Denounced.

    => "What should we (PACE) do ? Some, Understandably concerned, are Tempted to Challenge the Credentials of the Turkish Delegation (to CoE's Assembly), or put Turkey Under <<Monitoring>>" anew, Rouquet observed.

    - "But, that approach would be Too Hasty", the French Socialist MEP Felt, at least for the Time being. => "We (PACE) must Wait to find out more", he prefered, (almost as German ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Axel Fischer, But withOut     Fixing a precise Time Deadline, Contrary to what his collegue had done for Jan. 2017 : Comp. Supra). Indeed, "the Turkish Authorities have Promised to Correct any Errors or Abuses, that may have occured : "

    => "Let us (CoE) give them an opportunity" to do so, while "Following with Great Vigilence all Developments in the situation in Turkey", MEP Rouquet concluded, (withOut, However, explaining at all, How f.ex. eventualy more "Mob Lynching", "Rapes" and/or "Suicide Attempts", etc. among Helpless Detainees, might, eventualy, be "Corrected" Later-on, as he Claimed supra... See, relevant Denonciations about what Risks are really Facing many Arrested Victims of that unprecedented, Brutal Mass Oppression in Turkey, f.ex. : .....).

--------------------------------------------

     - "We (CoE's Assembly) are supposed to be the Organisation of Democracy and Human Rights", reminded from the outset, Lithuanian MEP Mr. Vareikis.

    + And, even "one of the best theoreticians of War, Carl von Clausewitz, said that the Best outcome of war, is not victory, but Peace", he added.

    => Therefore, Now, "the main Goal for the Turkish Authorities should be Not to celebrate their ...Victory, But to make Peace :  They Need to make Peace with All of Turkish Society, and Not to create an Erdoğan (or Gülen) Society", MEP Vareikis Warned.

    >>> So that. "my ultimate Wish ...to Work for Peace Now", and "Establish Real Democracy", he Optimisticaly Advised  Turkey.

-------------------------------------------------------

    - Even "real Security Threats", "canNot Justify the imprisonment, Arrest and Removal of Journalists, political Opponents, human rights Activists, Teachers, Academics, Judges and civil Servants by the Thousands" in Turkey, Denounced Swedish MEP Ms Jansson.

    + "Neither can it justify the Disproportionate Military Force against the Kurdish Population in the South-East", (which, notoriously, Preexisted, already Before the July 2016 Coup Attempt), she Added.

    ++ Moreover, "We (CoE) must Condemn the serious Backsliding on Freedom of Speech, Expression and Opinion, both OnLine and Offline, in Turkey over the Past 2 Years" (2015-2016), MEP Jansson Criticized. In this regard, f.ex., "the Number of ImPrisoned Journalists in Turkey is among the Highest in the World !". And "the number of verbal and physical Attacks on them has also Increased, as has the (ab)use of Defamation and Anti-Terror Legislation Against them", she observed.

    - F.ex., just "a few Days Ago, the Kurdish News Channel, "Newroz", which is based in Sweden, was turned Down by the French Satellite company (EUTELSAT) after suspected Pressure from Turkish Authorities", the Swedish MEP Denounced, (pointing at a Recent Series of such Violations of Media Freedom, that a Press Conference and a MEPs' Side Event had Revealed, on the sidelines of the present CoE Assembly's Plenary Session for Autumn 2016, this Week in Strasbourg).

    +++ On Addition, "on May, the Turkish Parliament approved Stripping 138 MPs of Immunity from Prosecution :  The (Opposition) HDP has said that the overwhelming Majority of its deputies Could be Jailed, mostly for the Views that they have Expressed. That is Unacceptable !  It allows (Turkish)President Erdoğan to Change the Electoral Outcome in his favour, and to push the pro-Kurdish HDP Out of the Parliament, thereby reMoving one of its Critical Voices.

    ++++ Moreover, even "on the Local level, the Removal of Elected Politicians in the South-East, is Totally Unacceptable", Jansson Further slamed Ankara's regime.

    => In Fact, "Turkey is Obliged to allow Journalists and the Media to be Free to Review the Government, and to Guarantee to Minorities their Human Rights", she Concluded,
while also Urging CoE, in Wider terms, to "Never Stop Pushing Turkey in a Democratic Direction".

--------------------------------------------------

    - "Another Important Factor, that we (CoE) have to Consider, while Judging Turkey, is the Regional scope :" Because "there ae Many Terror Threats, with Not just 1, but Numerous Terrorist Organisations in Turkey", found Azeri MEP V. Huseynov.

    Therefore, "Turkey" Faces a "Difficult Process", and "I Wish them (a) .. Democratic Development", he concluded.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

    + Followed anOther Turkish and Azeri MEPs, Mr Esseyan and Ms Safarova, who Focus Exclusively on certain "Challenges" that Turkey has to Face, according to them, from the "Gulen" Movement mainly, up to the "PKK", added to "the (Mass) Migration Crisis", etc., But withOut saying anything on CoE's main official Mission to Protect Human Rights...

------------------------------------------------------------------

    - Paradoxicaly, it's a Fact that "the AKP (Governing Party in Turkey) has Appointed all the Judges, Prosecutors, Police officers and Military men who are Now being Accused of being responsible for the Coup" : "Erdogan ... has been Running the Country for 14 Years", criticized Opposition MEP Koc from Turkey, whose Party : "CHP is Not prepared to Accept the Authoritarian Drift" of the Turkish President, as he Warned.

    - "On 20 July (2016) the (Turkish) Government announced ... a State of Emergency" and, "on that Basis, a number of Decrees, with Force of Law, have been Promulgated : That has resulted in the Dismissal of Thousands of civil Servants in the Military, the Judiciary and Education. Private Housing for Students has been Closed down, and various Groups associated with the Gülen movement have been Closed down. Various Press dailies, Television channels and Radio stations have also been Closed", he Denounced.

        => In Consequence, "we, in the CHP (political Party of the Opposition), have Received 30.000 Complaints of UnFair Treatment", MEP Koc pointed out.

    In Fact, "it's very Important that Turkey does Not descend into a Vicious Circle of <<Witch Hunting>>". Also because the "Turkish Society Needs Compromise and ...to be Cured. It does Not need ever More Repression", the Opposition MEP Warned.

    >>> "That is why Constant Pressure from European institutions, and in particular from the CoE, is Essential", he Urged.

-------------------------------------------

    - "The situation in Turkey ...is Grave and constantly Escalating", Denounced Swedish MEP Mr. Billstrom.

    - "We have witnessed a virtual Purge of Many civil Servants from the Turkish State, ...in an Arbitrary fashion that runs Contrary to the Principles cherished by this Assembly and provided for in the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms :" F.ex., -"How could anyone be Sure that the civil Servants and the more than 20 000 Teachers who have so far been Dismissed, have Committed the Crimes that they have been Charged with ?", he Wondered. Even if, "Yesterday, the Foreign Minister of Turkey ...said that his government possessed plenty of Evidence", nevertheless,  "so far Nothing Substantial has been forthcoming from the Government of Turkey", Billstrom Denounced, while, on the Contrary, "If it exists, such (Proof) material should be Presented and dully Examined", he Urged.

    => Meanwhile, "We, in this (CoE) Assembly, have a Responsibility to ask Questions, give Advice, and, Ultimately, Take the necessary Decisions, Based on how we perceive our Duty", MEP Billstrom concluded.

-----------------------------------------------------   

 
    - "The basis for the rule of law is that everyone is Innocent, until proven guilty. However, (nowadays in Turkey) Many People have been Wrongfully Labelled as <<Terrorists>> and as a result, have been Removed from their Jobs, found they No longer have the Right to Work and have even had their Passports Confiscated", Denounced MEP Ms Anttila from Finland.

    . "The main idea behind (CoE) Assembly’s <<Monitoring>> procedure is to Ensure that member States fulfil their Commitments in relation to our core Values", she Topicaly Reminded.

    - As a matter of Principle, "We (CoE) should Not Refrain from Judging Actions that put Human Rights, Democracy or the Rule of Law in Danger. It's our Duty", and "We Must Keep Reminding Turkey of its Commitments and its Responsibilities towards its People", the Finnish MEP urged in conclusion.

----------------------------------------

    - "We can watch the developments in Turkey only through the lens of our common Values", stressed anOther MEP from Finland, Mr. Honkonen.

    - In this regard, "the Answer (to that Coup d'Etat attempt) for Turkey is Not Revenge", but, rather, to "become Stonger via Democracy", he advised.

    - A fortiori, since, in Fact, "in order to Stabilize the Situation, Turkey and its People will Need those Values : ...Transparency; civil rights; the liberty to speak and to be heard; freedom of the press; the liberty of science; freedom of religion, of the media and of overall practices of democracy are key elements to the stabilization and the future development of Turkey", MEP Honkonen believes.

---------------------------------------------------

    + Much more Straightforward, Swedish MEP Ms Johnson-Fornarve, expressed her "Deep Concern over the Developments in Turkey, especially with regard to Human Rights and Freedom of Expression".

    - Even if "various representatives of the Turkish Government have Claimed that the Mass Arrests ...and the Attacks on the Media were Necessary measures to take as a Result of a Military Coup in July, 2016", "Nevertheless, we (CoE) must Remember that Developments in Turkey had been Going in the Wrong Direction for a Long Time", i.e. already Before that, she Criticized.

    F.ex., "Violence already increased after the Elections in June 2015, when Opposition party HDP entered Parliament with a progressive agenda : ...Over 400 of the HDP's Offices were Attacked, and Thousands of Journalists, Academics, and Activists were Arrested. The Violence, particularly in Eastern Turkey, Increased : In several Kurdish Cities, a state of Emergency and a Curfew were introduced and residents were Not able to get Access to Water, Electricity and Healthcare. Hundreds of Kurds have been Killed, and Thousands Forced to Leave their Homes. "Amnesty International" stated in a Report that the Turkish Security Forces enDanger the lives of 200,000 Civilians, and Condemned the actions as a Collective Punishment", the Swedish MEP reminded.

    + Moreover, After "the Military Coup (of July 2016), while it's obvious that those Responsible must be Brought to Justice, Nevertheless, it is Not Justice to Strike Indiscriminately Against ALL Opposition", Johnson-Fornarve  Denounced : F.ex., "according to Official sources, 16,000 People have been Detained, and Amnesty International reports that Torture is taking place; 60,000 State Employees have been Dismissed; many Academics have received Travel Bans; over a Hundred different Media have been Closed down; Journalists have been Jailed; and HDP Parliamentarians have been Accused and are Risking imPrisonment", (etc).

    => Normaly, "The Turkish authorities must ...Respect the rule of Law when carrying out the necessary Investigations, Grant Fair Trials for all those Detained, and Release the persons against whom they have No concrete Evidence", she stressed.

    >>> "No More Violence and Mass Arrests : The Way Forward for Turkey should see an End to Violence, and Respect for Human Rights", she Urged ib Coclusion.

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    - "Today, ...the Volatile Situation in Turkey can be Explosive, not only for the Region, but in a Larger sense", Warned MEP Ms Naghdalyan, from Armenia.

    - "The Scope and Depth of President Erdoğan’s reaction is Devastating, leaving the country No Hope for any Democratic Processes to take place", since "the Turkish Authorities started to Use the Coup attempt as an Excuse for a Crackdown throughout all the country : Thousands of Military officers, Judges, Educators and civil Servants have been Suddenly Arrested or Fired. The recently Prolonged state of Emergency means the Suspension of basic Human Rights; while there have been Discussions on reIntroducing the Death penalty. The (Turkish) Authorities Closed down several Kurdish TV and Radio channels, including one for Kids - ...a Cartoon channel !", she Denounced.

    => In consequence, "the Conclusion is inescapable : ...Turkey is becoming more Autocratic and Unpredictable".  Turkey has made an "U-turn" : its "Authorities totally Disregard the rule of Law, and are Using the situation to Fight their political 0pponents and national Minorities in the country", observed MEP Naghdalyan.

    >>> Therefore, "the Issue that we (CoE Assembly) were Discussing very Recently, as you remember, with regard to the Functioning of Democratic Institutions in Turkey, when Various Standpoints were Expressed during our Debates on the Negative Developments in that Country, and We ...Supported the Idea of Re-Opening the <<Monitoring>> process, has become, Now, much "More Crucial", she underlined.

____________________________________________

     - "Turkey's Ambassador to Sweden published an article ...where he guaranteed unconditionally, on behalf of his government, that no breach whatsoever would be committed by the Turkish authorities, against national and international Law when it came to the Treatment of those Arrested,  ... under the present state of Emergency. Similar newspaper articles were published in Other Countries. We therefore have ...to ...Scrupulously Measure the actions of the Turkish government, during the Months to come", urged Swedish MEP Mr. Nissinen.

    >>> "But, we Now have the Impression that Mr Erdogan is seizing the present moment in order to transform Turkey into a fully-fledged Dictatorship !", he Warned.

     CoE's Assembly would be strictly and totally against such a development, and we Expect Turkey to Dispel that impresssion", MEP Nissinen urged in conclusion.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  

 - "The developments in Turkey following the attempted coup d’Etat are Worrying", Denounced Canadian MEP Mr. Simms, who holds an "Observer" Status at the CoE.

    -  Indeed, "Since July 16 approximately 70,000 State Workers, Judges, Military officers and Journalists have been Dismissed from their positions; 18,000 people have been Detained or Arrested, (including 2 Canadian-Turkish dual Citizens, who have Not been granted Consular Access); civil Servants and Security personnel have seen their Leave Cancelled by the government and overseas Travel is Prohibited; Restrictions have been placed on the Travel of Academics; a Special Prosecutions Unit has been established to Expedite Trials and Sentencing; while President Erdoğan has indicated an intention to re-introduce the Death penalty ... But, re-introducing the Death penalty would be a Violation of Turkey’s international Commitments", MEP Simms denounced.

 -"Canadians are Concerned by the reports of indiscriminate Mass Dismissals and Detentions, as well as Vigilante Actions, Intimidation, and Improper Treatment of those Accused, ...the Implications with respect to the "rule of Law" and "Due Process" during the state of Emergency in Turkey, and especially ...by President Erdogan’s statements on the reintroduction of the Death penalty", the Canadian MEP (who holds an "Observer" status at the CoE) warned.

=> - Therefore, "We shall Follow the Fate of Each State Functionary, of each Journalist, each Judge, each Teacher, each Academic who is imPrisoned or has been Sacked from their job, on the grounds of an alleged complicity in the military Insurrection. And we will continue to Closely Follow the Kurdish Issue in Turkey, to try to Prevent any Further Wrongdoing against this Ethnicity", Simms Firmly Anounced.

- Because "we canNot just Observe in Silence the present seeming Drift of Turkey into a One-Man Rule System", and we "Invite the Turkish Authorities to Take into Account the Concerns Expressed by their Allies, regarding the protection of Human Rights, the rule of Law, and the respect of Due Process", he Concluded.

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    - "Today it is clear that the Coup Attempt and the state of Emergency procedure are being Misused" by the Turkish Authorities, Denounced from the outset Danish MEP Mr. Villumsen.

    - Indeed, F.ex., "Journalists have been put in Prison, and Media Closed, even though they Never Supported the Coup. Furthermore, Parliamentarians, Majors and Councillors have been Charged with Absurd charges – even the members of the Turkish Opposition party, the HDP here in the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE, have been Charged for Using their Freedom of Expression. That is Unacceptable. ... The HDP took a clear stand Against the Coup, But now its members have been Charged as well. They Need our Support", he Urged.

    - "I talked with a Turkish Journalist who had been Sacked because her Media ...was Closed down. She was in Despair because it will be almost Impossible for her and her colleagues to get a new Job. But she was even more Choked by the Lack of Reaction from Europe. We do Not help Turkey by Turning a Blind Eye to the Oppression, or to the Charges against our Colleagues (MPs) from the Turkish Opposition", the Danish MEP, criticized.

- In Fact, "there is an Elephant in this Room : ... the (Controversial and UnPopular) EU-Turkey Deal on Migrants". For the shake of that, "Human Rights Violations are Accepted by European Governments", he Denounced.

- "This is Cynical; but this is also Short-sighte :" Indeed, "More than 350 000 Civilians have been Forced to Flee their Homes, due to the Civil War in the Kurdish part of Turkey. Tens of Thousands of public Employees have been Sacked. The situation in the country will Explode, if Human Rights and the rule of Law are Not Respected. It is Urgent to hold the Turkish Government Accountable for its Commitment to the CoE. It is Urgent to act !", Villumsen dramatically concluded.

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- Surprisingly evoking "Freedom of Expression", Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, indirectly but clearly, indicated Ankara's recent Dislike of the Lausanne Peace Treaty, which, despite its controrsial points, has at least Succeeded to Safeguard against War South-Eastern Europe, and particularly the Greco-Turkish relations, while also being traditionaly considered as an Historic Founding text for Turkey itself, almost 1 Century after the Collapse of Medieval former Ottoman-Turkish Empire, all the way between 1923 - 2016.

He was Replying to the 1st Question raised by a MEP at CoE's PanEuropean Assembly Today in Strasbourg, on behalf of the Biggest Political Group of MEPs, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, by Experienced, former Foreign Minister, Dora Bakoyannis, from Greece, currently President of CoE Assembly's Committee on OECD and BERD, and former President of its Political affairs Committee, who pointed at some Recent Controversial Statements made by Turkish President Tayip Erdogan, against the 1923 Lausanne Peace Treaty, particularly in relation of the OverMillenary Greek Islands at the Aegean Sea, facing what is (since then) Turkey's Coasts, on the occasion of the 2015-2016 Unprecedented "Tsunami" of 1,5 Million Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants tresspassing into the EU through Turkey.

Curiously, despite his own, Personal Experience, precisely at CoE's PanEuropean Assembly during more than a Decade, and even, briefly, at its Top Job, (instead of a Russian Top MEP, Margelov, who was reportedly supposed to take over that Key post in the Past), Cavusoglu did Not even Try to Deny, Limit, Downplay, or, at least, Alleviate, Nor Soften in any way, Erdogan's reportedly Negative Criticism against the 1923 Lausanne Treaty.  Instead, he Focused mainly on searching Excuses for Erdogan's Criticism, obviously Dangerous for the Stability of the whole South-Eastern area of Europe, by invoking that same "Freedom of Expression", that he notoriously Denies to many (currently Prosecuted massively) Dissident Turkish Journalists, both of the Right and of the Left, etc...

Moreover, he also prefered to Add some supplementary Negative Wording, by Hinting f.ex.,on this occasions at "International Agreements" that Turkey may "Not Like", and/or "Believe" to be In"Correct" and Not "Justified", merely because, Suddenly, it might, eventualy, Feel that such an International "Convention... may be to the .... DisAdvantage of Turkey", as he pointed out in his Reply.

In this regard, "of course", as a matter of General Principle, "all Countries must honour International Agreements and Contracts", Cavusoglu admitted after Bakoyannis Question, But, nevertheless, "Everyone can Express Opinions", and "Mr President (Erdogan, of Turkey) can, of course, Freely Express his Opinion about (such a) Convention".

- "This is Freedom of Expression, and Not a Threat against Greece, or any Other Country", (f.ex. EU Member Bulgaria, etc), he Claimed in conclusion, (withOut, however, saying Anything at all in order to ensure that Turkey will not attempt to Violate, in any way, even that Peace Treaty)...

At this point, it naturaly becomes inevitable to, at least, Timely remind a Recent Reaction to those Erdogan's controversial Statements, by the President of EU Parliament's Committee on relations with Turkey, mainstream MEP Kefalogianis from Greece, who, Speaking to "Eurofora" Last Week at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, spontaneously Smiled, and Found "Logical" and "a Good Point", that he'd like to use, at the simple Idea that, If Turkey doesn't really Like, No more, that 1923 Lausanne Treaty, then, we should Get Back to the pre-existing 1919-1920 Sevres' Treaty, (which, by the way, had been Signed by all the Succesful Winners of the 1st World War in Europe, and some among the Best and most Popular Political Leaders that those European Countries had ever had in their Modern History, (including, f.ex., Lloyd George and -Young- Winston Churchil in Great Britain, President Alexandre Millerand in France, President Woudroy Wilson in the USA, etc):

- Indeed, it's enough to simply Compare the 2 MAPs resulting by that Initial Peace Treaty of Sevres, at 1919-1920, and the subsequent, 1923 Lausanne Treaty, (See Photos Attached herewith), in order to immediately understand that, naturaly, with that Initial Peace Treaty, EU's External Borders at the Greek Islands of Aegean Sea, (Neither Bulgaria's Borders vis a vis Turkey), would Not have had Any Problem, Today, of the kind of what Europe has Now to Face, since that Unprecedented, Sudden "Tsunami" of 1,5Million Mass Asylum Seekers/Irregular Migrants tresspassing via what is Nowadays Turkey's Coasts. (Not even a bloody Kurdish Issue, Nor an Armenian Problem, No Cyprus' Issue, Neither ISIS Terrosists at Today's Turco-Syrian Borders, No Turkish Military Invasions in Syria and/or Iraq, presently Denounced by Both Countries' Governments, (etc), for Obvious reasons...

Is that, perhaps, what Mr. Erdogan had wished for, by launching loud Accusations against the subsequent, Lausanne Peace Treaty (of 1923, i.e. just After the Massacre of the OverMillenary Population of Greeks at Smyrne on 1922, renamed Later "Izmir", who were all Massively and Violently Expelled and Chassed Away from their Family Homes and Ancestral Land, those Resisting being Burned alive, Lynched, or otherwise Killed, as, f.ex., even the Old ArchiBishop of that Ancient City, as everybody knows, thanks also to a well-known,Dramatic Historic Book/Testimony by the American Consul who worked then at Smyrne, etc) ?